Succession Planning is integral to the health of the Adult Life Cycle. To maintain the operational continuity of our roles and responsibilities, the NSO as a whole and every individual in it should have a clear view of succession, even when it is a few years down the road. All teams should operate succession planning, a process whereby someone is identified, early in the process to develop, so they can replace another adult in a given position when the time, circumstances and situation are right. More than one successor can be identified, coached or mentored. The earlier this begins the more possibilities there are for a smooth succession.
It takes time for some people to remove themselves mentally from a role or function. This is a common reaction and should be considered part of the planning process and the support role.
- How does your organisation support adults in their transition to a new role or function?
- Do you consider that everyone is different and may need different support?
- How do you transfer the intangible expertise of the team?
- Is a transition period an option to introduce a successor in a step-by-step approach to their new responsibilities?
- How are adults supported when switching from a decision-making role to a supporting role?
- How do you capitalize on intergenerational cooperation, i.e., how can all age groups learn from each other, making it a win-win situation?
- What support do you provide to help adults when they need to let go of a role?
Take the time to hold the follow-up conversations required to overcome disillusionment or anger. As always, be flexible in your approach to ensure the best result for all.
If you are lucky enough to have an overflow of talent, i.e., more available adults than you need at that time, you need a system or process in place to ensure they remain interested once you have established that they are a good fit for your organisation and are willing to give their time to the Movement. You need to take care that they continue to feel connected by communicating in a transparent way without making any false promises.
To empower young people to participate in the succession planning, mentoring and coaching for them should be put in place.